This is the Reason
by prettypurplesmile
Summary: Karkat and John must fight against Feferi's law if they want to fully explore their relationship with each other, and if they want to change Terezi's ways
1. Chapter 1

John was sitting with Karkat on the floor of the troll's hive. After being in a redrom

relationship for 6 months, Karkat had decided it was time to seal the deal. Pailing was no big thing

to him; before John, he had done it plently of times with Terezi and Eridan. He'd never filled a

bucket with a human though before, but Karkat didn't think it'd be much different.

John was still a virgin, much to Karkat's surprise. He thought that maybe Rose or Vriska had beat

him to it but that didn't seem the case. Karkat, being the violent person he was, didn't want to be

gentle on John's innocent-filled body. But it seemed like he didn't have a choice. He wasn't going

to be able to see a naked human any other way.

"So, uh, are you ready?" Karkat asked. What the heck, why was he stuttering and nervous all of a

sudden?

"Yeah," John replied. "We've talked about this for months, why would I not be?"

"Are you sure you want it to be me that you fill your first bucket with?" Karkat had never taken

someone's innocence away before; Terezi and Eridan had already filled a few pails before Karkat

had a chance. He wanted to be sure that John wasn't going to regret this later on.

"Of course I'm sure! All the times we talked about it have made me certain," John was trying his

best to reassure Karkat that he wanted to do this without hesitation.

"Alright, well if you're sure..." Karkat pulled off his sweater and kicked off his shoes, whilst

John took his shirt and shoes off. So far, apart from the obvious skin colour difference, there

didn't seem to be any other anatomical differences. Karkat had nothing to worry if John was exactly

the same.

But when John was completely bare and stripped of his clothing, Karkat saw one major difference.

There was no nook, and his 'bulge' wasn't really a bulge. It wasn't the colour of John's blood.

It was the colour of his skin.

"John, I-"

Karkat was cut off by John placing his hand on his mouth. "I know I have no nook. I should've told

you before, but - I guess I'm topping!"

"John, you've never pailed in your life before, how the fuck would you know what to do?" Karkat

protested.

"You act like we never had those conversations before! And all the, uh, erotic art we shared did

give me an idea of what to do. So just lay down and let me do the work."

Karkat was furious. He had never bottomed before and he had never intended to. But no matter how

much he protested, he knew he wasn't going to win this battle. He slumped onto the floor and John

got on top of him. Jeez, Karkat thought, what happened to the wimpy innocent John?


	2. Chapter 2

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

EB: hey dave!

EB: guess what

TG: hey john

TG: what

EB: i just pailed

TG: with who

TG: jade i bet

TG: or rose

EB: no!

EB: karkat!

TG: dude

TG: not funny

EB: i'm not joking dave

TG: the amount of times youve said youre not a homo

TG: i dont buy it

EB: you can even ask him

TG: i will

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]

TG: hey karkat

CG: WHAT DO YOU WANT

TG: chill man

TG: john says you pailed with him

CG: YEAH

CG: SO WHAT IF I DID

CG: NOT BREAKING ANY OF THE FUCKING RULES IS IT

TG: actually

TG: it is

CG: QUIT BULLSHITTING DAVE

CG: STOP TRYING TO GUILT TRIP ME BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE A VIRGIN ASS

TG: karkat

TG: you can be culled for pailing with a human

CG: YEAH RIGHT

CG: WHAT'S NEXT

CG: JOHN BECOMING A FATHER LUSUS WITH MY GRUBS

TG: your ex is like a legislacerator dude

TG: she knows alternian law

TG: and the highest blood can cull you

CG: FEFERI

CG: I'D LIKE TO SEE HER FUCKING TRY

TG: ask terezi if you dont believe me

CG: ...

CG: YOU GO TELL FEFERI

CG: I BET SHE WON'T CULL ME

TG: thats suicide bro

TG: i aint doing that

TG: but terezi will probably out you

TG: she can smell johns scent on you

CG: FUCK YOU DAVE

TG: its only the truth man

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

TG: alright john

TG: you were telling the truth

TG: but i got some bad news

EB: what?

TG: alternian law says that if a troll pails with a human

TG: the troll gets culled

EB: why didn't karkat tell me this?

TG: he gives like no shits about alternian law

TG: terezis probably gonna smell you on him

TG: and out him to feferi

EB: oh no

EB: i guess i'd better talk to him

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]

EB: karkat

EB: why didnt you tell me

EB: ...

EB: karkat answer!

A text box appeared on the screen.

TA: iit'2 over john

GC: W3'V3 GOT H1M


	3. Chapter 3

TA...twinArmageddons...Sollux? What did Sollux have to do with any of this? Dave never mentioned

him!

John got up and teleported to Karkat's hive. "Karkat?" he called. "Are you here?"

No words came back to him, but he could hear faint cackling. He saw Karkat's Trollian open on

his screen. With a stomach full of dread and a mind full of worry, he headed over to see what

had been going on.

John ran through pesterlogs with Sollux and Terezi, and it gave him some indication of where they

had taken him. Feferi's hive. He headed out of Karkat's hive to find Vriska. Maybe she could help

him.

Unbeknownst to John, Karkat was tied to a rock on a beach near Feferi's hive. Sollux and Terezi were

guarding him, waiting for either Eridan or Feferi to take him to the fuchsia blood's hive. Sollux

hadn't liked betraying his friend one bit, but the law was the law.

Sollux had found out about it when he was hacking Trollian. He had managed to hack Karkat's

pesterlogs, and of course the most recent conversation was with Dave. Sollux had then gone to

Karkat's hive, only to find Terezi tying his hands with rope. She had smelt John on Karkat's body.

The ochre blood felt as if Terezi got some kind of kick out of this, as she couldn't stop cackling.

Back to John. John hadn't found Vriska anywhere, but he had found the beach Karkat was at. John

knew he had to be careful, as Terezi might be able to smell him. Watching from a safe distance,

John saw Eridan on the beach, talking to the three other trolls.

"Wwhat's going on? Wwhy is Kar tied up?" Eridan asked.

"He filled a bucket with John. You know the law, Eridan," Sollux sighed.

"So we were wondering if you could take Karkat to Feferi's hive," Terezi said.

"Wwhat? To be culled? I'm not going to do that, Terezi," Eridan protested. He wasn't going to be

responsible for his old pailmate's death.

"It's the LAW, Eridan," Terezi hissed.

"Fef wwouldn't do that anywway," Eridan snapped.

"I wouldn't do what, Eridan?"

Eridan spun around. "F-Fef? Howw much havve you heard?"

"Fucking obvious now," Sollux muttered under his breath.

"I know Karkat needs to be culled, and the law is the law. Come with me, Karkat," Feferi said, in

a monotone voice.

John couldn't take it any longer. He had to intervene!

"Wait. I smell something," Terezi said. She sniffed the air. "John's spying on us."

"John, get out of here!" Karkat yelled.

"I'm not leaving you to die!" John shouted, rushing out from his hiding place.

"Too bad, you're gonna have to," Feferi exclaimed, swinging her trident towards him.

"Terezi, you're not in the clear either! You pailed with Dave!" John panted, as he struggled to untie

Karkat's ropes.

Everyone looked at Terezi.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Terezi stuttered.

But it was too late to protest. With his arms now free, Karkat pulled Terezi's shirt so her left

shoulder showed. And sure enough, there were bitemarks there.

"Karkat. Terezi. Come with me," Feferi ordered.

The two ex-matesprits had no choice but to follow.

John had to think of a way to save Karkat. And he was sure Dave was going to want to save Terezi.

They were gonna have to work together to save them.


	4. Chapter 4

John and Dave watched Feferi tying up Karkat and Terezi. The two of them hung seperately from

Feferi's prison room ceiling. Their feet were denied access to the floor. Karkat felt as if he

wasn't Karkat at all, but rather the Signless, his ancestor. Terezi tried her best to stop her

head drooping, so her glasses stayed on her face, but it was no use. They fell to the floor with

a clatter.

"Alright, Dave, what's the plan?" John asked in the darkness of their hiding place.

"We wait until Feferi leaves, then we untie them and go to Gamzee's hive," Dave explained.

"Gamzee? Why Gamzee?" John was confused. Gamzee wouldn't help them, would he?

"He won't let his moirail or kismesis get culled. They're filling his quadrants, dude," Dave replied.

"Gamzee's Terezi's kismesis?"

"Yeah, now shut up. Feferi's left."

John and Dave revealed themselves to Feferi's prisoners. Karkat gasped. "John? Dave?"

"Yeah, it's us. Don't make too much noise, we're freeing you," Dave said to them.

John released Karkat whilst Dave released Terezi. The four of them then headed out of Feferi's hive

and headed to Gamzee's hive. As they were walking there, Dave whispered to John: "Don't say anything

to Karkat about Terezi being Gamzee's kismesis. He would kill Gamzee, and that's really not what we

need right now."

John simply nodded. Before long, they arrived at the highest landdweller's hive. "Gamzee, we're

here!" Dave yelled. Gamzee stepped outside, saw who his visitors were and welcomed them in.

"Gamzee, is it okay if we stay here until we can get some sense into Feferi?" John asked.

"Of course, motherfucker, stay as long as you want." Gamzee said this as if John had asked him

the silliest question in the world. Then again, that's how Gamzee answered most questions.

That night, John and Karkat slept on the floor next to the each other. Despite all the chaos that

had erupted so suddenly, their flushed feelings for each other hadn't faded one bit. If anything,

this madness had brought them closer.

All that was left to do now was to talk sense into Feferi. Terezi, after hanging from the ceiling

in the prison room, knew that that law was just stupid. As a legislacerator, she would be the one

to get sense into Feferi.

Or at least, that's what John hoped.


	5. Chapter 5

John awoke with a start. He instinctively looked to see if Karkat was next to him...damn, he had

gone! He got up to go and find him, following the muffled voices he could hear from outside.

"John?" John nearly cried out as he spun around to face whoever was saying his name.

"Dave! You scared me!" John said to his friend.

For the first time in a long while, Dave laughed. "Where's Terezi at?"

"I don't know, you seen Karkat anywhere?"

"No, but I hear voices out there. They're probably talking to Gamzee," Dave replied. Yeah, they

didn't see Gamzee anywhere either. The two boys headed out to see if they could find the three

trolls.

They found Karkat and Terezi with Gamzee outside. Karkat was yelling at Feferi, who had just

arrived on the scene. Gamzee was trying to calm him down as best he could. Best being hitting

Karkat on the head with a Faygo bottle. Terezi, using her legislacerator skills she had acquired

over the sweeps, was reasoning with Feferi. But Feferi wasn't truly defeated until John had his

say.

"Feferi."

The seadwelling troll turned to face John.

"This crazy law needs to go. Humans and trolls should be able to interact with each other as they

please. Whatever we do in the pailing area, doesn't affect anyone else. It doesn't hurt anyone else.

It's for our own enjoyment, and it's not like we can make human/troll hybrids. Human/troll

interaction shouldn't be limited at all, Feferi. You're the only one listening to a law made many

years ago. You might as well just step down and leave it be."

Silence. Then Feferi nodded. "You got me there, John. I am being silly, you're right." She turned

away and headed back to her hive after announcing that the law no longer existed.

Dave and Terezi congratulated him, but John truly felt warm when Karkat told him:

"There are many reasons why I'm flushed for you, John. But this is THE reason. You're a hero, John,

you're my hero."

John smiled.

"And you're my hero, Karkat."


End file.
